Richard of Cornwall

Richard was born 5 January 1209, the second son of King John and Isabella, Countess of Angoulême. From 1225 he held the title Earl of Cornwall and was nominal Count of Poitou until 1243, positions that made him one of the wealthiest men in Europe. He joined the Barons' Crusade, where his talent proved diplomatic rather than martial: he negotiated the release of prisoners and helped build the citadel in Ascalon. In 1257 he became King of the Romans, a title he held until his death on 2 April 1272.